Feast Day: November 28
Born: May 2, 1806 – Fain-lès-Moutiers, Burgundy, France
Died: December 31, 1876 – Paris, France
Religious Order: Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul
Known for: Marian apparitions; the Miraculous Medal
Early Life and Vocation
Zoe Labouré, later known in religion as Sister Catherine, was born into a devout Catholic family in rural France. Her mother died when she was only nine years old. Tradition records that upon her mother’s death, the child went to a statue of the Blessed Virgin and said: “Now, dear Blessed Virgin, you will be my mother.” This early act of childlike faith became a prophecy of her life.
From her youth, she demonstrated extraordinary piety and interior recollection. At the age of 24, she entered the Daughters of Charity, a congregation founded by St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac, where she began her formation in Paris at the Rue du Bac.
The Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1830)
It was during her novitiate that Our Lady appeared to her three times in the year 1830, in the convent chapel at 140 Rue du Bac, Paris.
First Apparition – July 18, 1830
On the eve of the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, Sister Catherine was awakened by a mysterious child (interpreted as her guardian angel), who led her to the chapel. There, the Blessed Virgin appeared to her seated in the sanctuary. Our Lady spoke at length to Catherine, prophesying future trials for France and for the world, and promising graces to those who would seek her intercession.
Second Apparition – November 27, 1830
This was the most famous of the visions, in which Our Lady appeared standing on a globe, with rays of light streaming from her hands and the words encircling her:
“O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
Mary instructed Catherine to have a medal struck according to the vision, promising that “those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck.” This became known as the Miraculous Medal, initially called the “Medal of the Immaculate Conception,” and played a powerful role in promoting devotion to Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception—dogmatically defined in 1854.
Third Apparition
Our Lady showed Catherine the back side of the medal, which displayed the Cross surmounting the letter “M”, beneath which were the Sacred Heart of Jesus crowned with thorns and the Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced by a sword. This image reinforced the call to love and reparation.
Hidden Life of Holiness
Though she was chosen by Heaven to deliver a message to the Church and the world, St. Catherine lived in silence and humility for the remainder of her life. Only her confessor, Fr. Aladel, knew that she was the visionary. She did not seek fame or recognition and remained a simple nun, assigned to menial tasks such as caring for the elderly and infirm.
She lived this hidden life for over 40 years, never revealing publicly that she was the sister to whom Our Lady appeared, until shortly before her death in 1876.
Miraculous Medal: Fruits and Spread
The medal, distributed under the guidance of her confessor and the approval of ecclesiastical authority, became known throughout the world for its miraculous healings, conversions, and protections. Among the most famous was the conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne, a Jewish banker who became a Catholic priest after receiving a vision of the Blessed Virgin while wearing the medal in 1842.
The medal is a powerful sacramental in traditional Catholic devotion, especially associated with the Immaculate Conception and the apostolate of Our Lady in the latter times.
Death and Canonization
St. Catherine died on December 31, 1876, and was buried at the convent. In 1933, her body was exhumed and found incorrupt, a sign often associated with sanctity. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII on July 27, 1947.
Her incorrupt body lies today in a glass reliquary beneath the altar of the chapel at Rue du Bac, where countless pilgrims still come to venerate Our Lady and the humble saint who was her chosen instrument.
Legacy in Traditional Catholicism
Saint Catherine Labouré holds a central place in traditional Catholic devotion to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and to the Immaculate Conception. Her life exemplifies humility, obedience, and hidden sanctity—hallmarks of true Catholic spirituality.
The apparitions and the resulting medal are often seen as preparatory for the great Marian dogmas and events of the 19th and 20th centuries: the dogmatic definition of the Immaculate Conception (1854), the Apparitions of Lourdes (1858), and the spread of Marian devotion against modern errors.
Prayer to Saint Catherine Labouré
O Saint Catherine Labouré,
whom the Blessed Virgin chose as the confidante of her Immaculate Heart,
intercede for us, that we may faithfully wear the Miraculous Medal,
receive the graces she promised,
and live lives of hidden virtue and deep love for Jesus and Mary.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.